The World After the Bad Ending

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The fragments of the sword, illuminated by the gymnasium lights, shone in various colors.

I had played the Fire Butterfly series countless times.

In that world, Ban was always an important character as a friend of Lucas, always by my side.

Could it be that I genuinely didn’t acknowledge Ban’s existence?

No way.

Until the mock battle, I had studied continuously, relentlessly.

While there were certainly studies to keep up with the academy classes…

The main focus of my studies was how to counter my opponents.

I’m no genius.

But I understand the habits and behaviors of the supporting characters, their unique traits, strengths, and weaknesses.

I remember all of this clearly, even for a supporting role.

That’s why I truly want—

A happy ending, not a bad one.

I hope that the game I loved most will always have a happy ending.

My hand surged forth from the shattered sword fragments.

My hand took the shape of a blade, becoming one sword due to the steel-like skin.

A living biological weapon.

I, the sword, charged at Ban.

Splash!

My outstretched hand sliced past Ban’s neck.

What kind of reflexes does he have?

Even in the moment of surprise when the sword shattered, Ban reacted.

“Cheh.”

Even though I look like this, I was an athlete until I got injured.

For those who have already far surpassed human limits, my past athleticism held little significance.

But that’s okay.

“If I’ve failed once.”

I’ll go for the second time.

“Here it comes.”

My eyes met Ban’s.

He was looking at me with a dazed expression.

However, aside from that, the fire in his eyes quietly flickered to life.

The unprecedented event of the sword breaking.

For Ban, it was the first time his own sword had shattered.

“You’re not in your right mind.”

And that ignited a flame of desire for victory.

Ban had a natural flame of victory within him.

But for some reason, that flame had once been extinguished.

Yet, that flame had flared up just once when he faced the flame of determination that was Lucas.

Originally, it should have burned strongly with Lucas.

But as Lucas died, his flame was snuffed out alongside him.

Now, in this moment—

The flame of victory that he possessed—

That flame—

Rekindled my weak flame once again.

Ban clenched his hand tightly.

In his grasp was only an empty hilt.

But he is a genius.

Fwoosh!

Blue sparks erupted.

Ban’s gray hair danced in the wake of the spark.

The surrounding air vibrated, and a silent uproar swirled around my ears.

My steel skin tingled.

My entire body warned me.

That’s dangerous.

On the hollow blade—

Though there was clearly no blade, the blue blade roared fiercely, showing its teeth.

GRRRRRR—

People say that when confronting a swordsman wielding sword energy, one hears the voice of a beast.

This phenomenon, created when sword energy meets the air, remains unexplained.

However, it clearly instills one fact.

The swordsman before me is more dangerous than any beast.

The shape of the sword energy generated without a blade emerged from Ban’s sword.

Children watching gasped and exclaimed in awe.

Even among those who handle sword energy, it’s rare in this world.

The realm of pure swordsmanship materializing a sword.

Even if he were offered employment as a renowned knight of the Haishi Lion Empire, he wouldn’t be outmatched.

Genius.

What it means, Ban brought clearly to this very moment.

The towering shape of blue sword energy gleams menacingly.

But I know.

Right now, Ban won’t be able to maintain the form of the sword energy long without a blade to be the protagonist.

It’ll last no more than ten seconds.

Ban’s gaze changed for the first time today, igniting like a flame.

If he doesn’t end this in ten seconds, it would be his defeat without a blade.

And Ban realizes this too.

But for Ban—

“He intends to win within ten seconds for sure.”

That’s something lazy genius Ban can pull off.

And then, Ban vanished from right in front of me.

My body contracted.

Now, the tricks using my steel skin won’t work.

If I’m cut even once, it’s over.

Ten seconds ahead.

I must avoid everything.

“Ban!”

The instructor, realizing too late that Ban had drawn a dangerously high card, shouted his name.

However, Ban, who had materialized the sword energy, couldn’t be stopped by the instructor.

Ban, now in a hyper-focused state, heard nothing.

In his eyes, I was the only one present.

“Yeah, that’s the kind of guy you are.”

I grinned as I looked at Ban.

Ban is a genius but also lazy.

But while he may be lazy, that doesn’t mean he lacks desire for victory.

No, in fact, he has too much of it.

With excessive desire for victory, Ban has messed up countless times.

Even with his own brother.

Ban’s talent was lofty, and his desire for victory only cried out for more victories.

As a result, the elder brother, who loved the sword more than anyone, was utterly defeated before Ban’s sword.

Since then, the elder brother locked himself away in his room.

He set aside the sword he loved and avoided Ban.

Ban felt sad.

And he grew tired of his desire for victory.

He grew to dislike this relentless desire for victory.

If it was going to be like this, he’d rather burn away that desire for victory right from the start.

He set down the desire for victory and chose to become lazy.

It was the bitter choice of a young boy who still had much to learn.

But now—

Ban’s desire for victory had flared back to life after Lucas.

The suppressed desire for victory that he had long kept buried.

That desire engulfed Ban in an instant.

“My first attack targets the head.”

I’m well aware of Ban’s habits.

And this habit hasn’t changed even now.

The sword energy aimed at my waist suddenly shot upwards, targeting my head.

I hurriedly tilted my head enough to disrupt my stance.

The sword energy that rushed up close grazed the bridge of my nose.

Blood splattered.

But it wasn’t a critical wound.

One second.

Without a blade, the lighter sword energy freely twisted and crashed into my shoulder.

Some flesh near my armpit came away, but again, this wasn’t a critical wound.

Two seconds.

The bent sword energy aimed at my lower body.

At the same time, I threw the piece of sword fragment I had secretly held in my hand.

Ban evaded the piece of the sword fragment flying towards him.

Thanks to that, he missed the strike for my lower body and I rolled away.

Three seconds.

I kicked away the half-destroyed shield that I had hit the ground with.

Ban’s sword energy struck the ground one more time, splitting the shield in half.

Four seconds.

As I tried to stand, Ban’s relentless sword crashed down, slicing through the arena’s floor.

I, who had plunged my hand into the ground seam, flipped over a tile.

Ban’s sword energy tore through the tile.

Five seconds.

From the cracked floor tiles, the sword lunged at me.

My stance was still shaky, and injuries made my body stagger.

I recognized it.

With my current state, I couldn’t dodge Ban’s sword anymore.

Victory and defeat.

In that instant where both crossed paths—

Ban’s gaze met mine.

He noticed the faint smile on my face.

The fact that I was smiling in this situation opened his eyes wide.

The ten seconds Ban had given his all—

That was an erroneous assumption.

This contest isn’t granted a lengthy ten seconds.

Five seconds.

That’s the time I had in mind for my victory.

BOOM!

A person burst onto the scene, grabbing Ban and slamming him to the ground.

With the shock, the hilt of Ban’s sword fell to the floor.

Ban’s hand blazed a bright white as the price of materializing the sword energy.

Ban raised his head in a daze.

There stood Veganon, the professor responsible for Martial Arts Year 2.

She looked down at Ban with a slightly annoyed expression.

“Are you planning to kill a classmate with your own hands, Ban?”

Hearing that question, Ban flinched.

Then, his gaze slowly shifted towards me.

Ban looked at my battered state.

The last of Ban’s sword.

That sword was clearly aimed at my life.

Ban realized once more that his desire for victory was consuming him.

“Ah.”

A sigh escaped from Ban’s lips.

He fell into a state of self-loathing.

After a long time, the desire for victory reignited since Lucas.

Lucas was someone strong enough to boldly tell Ban they could fight again next time.

Because of Lucas, Ban had been able to clash with his desire for victory time and again.

But I couldn’t be like Lucas.

Lucas is the protagonist.

I am a third-rate villain who has exited the narrative.

I cannot match Ban in a battle equal in intensity to Lucas.

“…I’m sorry.”

As Ban apologized, Veganon didn’t scold him any further.

She turned her attention to me, seated on the ground.

“Hanon, you’re warned too.”

As expected, she’s a professor.

She must have sensed that I had anticipated her interruption from the start.

“And Ban.”

Veganon called to Ban, who was slowly getting up with a gloomy look.

“Look straight at that guy. Even if the mock battle continued, it wouldn’t have counted as your victory.”

Ban slowly raised his head late.

“This is your loss, not realizing that your opponent was hiding their last trick until the very end.”

Ban’s eyes slowly widened.

He could see the faint flickering light on my arm that was now fading.

Veganon’s interruption.

And, considering the scenario if Veganon hadn’t intervened.

What I could pull out next.

Magical Engraving.

Ban now realized that I had been considering those two things from the very beginning.

I still had one hidden card remaining.

If the battle had continued.

At that moment where he might not realize it, what outcome would have awaited Ban?

“Don’t be arrogant. I acknowledge your sword, but your surrounding companions are not without strengths.”

Ban wore a dazed expression from Veganon’s advice, which penetrated deep.

“Ha, haha.”

Then, a hollow laugh escaped from Ban.

He stared at me, gradually lowering his head.

“I’m sorry. It seems I was completely oblivious to everything.”

Ban looked up with a somewhat relieved expression.

“I lost.”